The better Bonanzas
In the Beech 36-series Bonanza Used Aircraft Guide report in the July 2024 Aviation Consumer, there was a minor error when saying the 1984 model year brought the Continental IO-520 to the Bonanza 36. I know you know that the engine was the Continental IO-550.
But also unmentioned in the same paragraph was the Bonanza’s biggest safety improvement in 1984, which is the more standardized placement of the landing gear and flap switches. It’s gear on the left and the flaps on the right. Individual dual control yokes also probably added another layer of safety.
—Larry Weitzman, Hurricane, Utah
Thanks, Larry. Of course we knew all of that and should have gotten it straight. For those and other improvements to an already good airframe, these post-1984 Bonanzas still carry a price premium on the used market.
More ceramic coating feedback
I can contribute to your long-term ceramic coating field reporting. After having my aircraft (N343B, the first Beech 95 Travel Air built in 1957 and sold in 1958) freshly painted at the tune of over $42,000, and then spending another $3000 correcting the paint shop’s errors (that’s another subject), I elected to have the plane ceramic coated. I was simply amazed at the outcome.
The shop that did the coating work sent out three personnel who in three days put in a total of 60-plus hours gently buffing out virtually every swirl mark and imperfection, culminating with a glass-like coating that is simply spellbounding.
The surface is amazingly smooth and slick. To maintain this finish, the shop requires professional touch-up yearly (for a cost, I am sure), but I am all in with it.
—Robert Rendzio, via email
Based on Aviation Consumer’s ceramic coating trials, I invested in the finish on my freshly painted Archer and couldn’t be happier. It makes the bright paint work “pop,” the bugs come off easy and it’s simply easy to keep clean—even the greasy belly. I even use it on the windshield and side windows. The rain just rolls right off. I’m hoping it protects my pricey paint job for years to come.
—Franklin Abare, via email
Airplane parachute mods
I read the BRS retrofit article in the June 2024 Aviation Consumer and have some thoughts. I’m not referring to retrofit installations, but to the overall impact the ballistic parachutes have had on safety—265 survivors in Cirrus models. There is no question that such systems have added to safety and also the sales of Cirrus aircraft.
But rhetorically, what percentage of deployments were due to pilots’ subpar airmanship skills, including decision-making?
The implication could be that instead of focusing on pilot proficiency, such pilots depend on technology to get them out of trouble, and also promote more risk-taking.
Moreover, how many of the 129 reported pulls (265 survivors) were reported to the NTSB? In part, it would depend on the reason for the pull, but that is precisely what would be of interest in knowing the context.
—Luca Bencini, via email
You make a good point about the potential complacency when it comes to decision-making and the overall approach to safety. We’d like to think that the majority of pilots see the whole-airplane parachute as a secondary (not primary) layer of safety. We’ll look at this further in an upcoming field report on accident trends.
Bendix/King KX200
Over one year ago Bendix/King showed (and you reported on) its KX200 navcomm to replace the KX155. That’s the last I heard of it. Does this radio even exist?
—Glenn Howard, via email
We thought it would be available by now, too. Dealers are still preordering, but say there’s no estimated availability.
